Essay Example on 4 Types of Anxiety and Stress Disorders and How to Treat Them

Introduction

This discourse examines the four most common types of anxiety/stress disorders and their effect on adult body-mind. Besides, the discussion reveals the most viable means of mitigating or eradicating such disorders.

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Generalized Anxiety/Stress Disorder

Generalized Anxiety/Stress Disorder (GAD) is one of the primary causes of stress among people. This disorder entails an individual having an excessive worry over things or occurrences that an average person would not worry about (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2011). It is a situation where someone imagines impending danger, which in reality, does not exist. For instance, a person suffering from this disorder could see a plane in the sky and start worrying that it could fall on him or her.

Such a disorder is dangerous to the adult mind since it may cause hallucinations if not checked and controlled. To the human body, the persisting worries cause it to produce catecholamines like norepinephrine and epinephrine, which increases the heartbeat rate (Integrative Therapeutics, 2016). Elongated high frequencies of the heartbeat strain the heart muscles to expose an individual to heart-related complications.

As a remedy, a patient suffering from GAD should regularly visit a psychotherapist for guidance and counseling. Besides, the patient should engage in social activities like games to keep the mind away from unnecessary imaginations that cause fear and anxiety (Felman, 2018).

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is another kind of anxiety/stress, which emerges as a result of indulgence in an activity that causes shock to the mind and body. For example, watching something unusually dangerous or worrying can also lead to PTSD. For instance, a person can contract this disorder when he or she witnesses a gruesome accident, or when he loses a close family member, friend or relative through death (Roberts, 2014).

This disorder is harmful to both the body and mind. A patient who has PTSD regularly experiences nightmares, and to a greater extent, plunges into depression. With regards to the body, this disorder may lead to the loss of weight due to excessive thoughts. It can also cause heart-related complications like hypertension (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2011).

One of the most effective ways of handling PTSD is to seek psychological counseling. This process is of great significance since it helps the patient cut down on the weird imaginations that heavily contribute to the disorder (Felman, 2018). Subjecting such a patient to cognitive behavioral therapy enables them to know how to think or react when faced with the condition. Use of anti-depressants can also help mitigate the disorder since it cures the symptoms of PTSD.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder is getting common in contemporary society, especially after the risk factor of cyberbullying surged. Most people who suffer from this disorder have low self-esteem. They are always apprehensive of getting negative judgments or feedbacks from others (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2011). These patients cannot fathom talking to other people unless they know them very well. Besides, they prefer remaining indoors for the better part of the day.

Social Anxiety Disorder impacts negatively on the human body and mind. For instance, when a person remains alone for long, he or she engages their mind thinking about negative issues of life. If there is no therapy, such an individual may get depressed. Depression causes the body to release adrenaline hormones that trigger high rate of the heartbeat, which exposes an individual to high blood pressure (Integrative Therapeutics, 2016). Besides, people suffering from this disorder end up losing excessive weight.

Handling this condition involves seeking a psychologist who can offer guidance and counseling by reassuring the patient about his or her status in society. Cognitive behavioral therapy also contributes massively to the recovery of such a patient (Felman, 2018). Overall, raising the self-esteem of this patient is what would restore the healthy status of such a patient.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is another form of anxiety/stress where a patient experiences regular waves of terror, which causes the entire body to convulse. In most cases, the patient feels like he may die the next minute, and he or she may also experience difficulties when breathing (Lombardo, 2017).

Panic disorder has adverse effects on the mental and physical aspect of a human adult. For instance, the patient may apprehend imminent doom due to hallucinations. When not contained, this condition may cause depression to the patient (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2011). The impact of this disorder on the human body is a pounding heartbeat, which may lead to hypertension if the condition prolongs. The sensations of short breath can lead to lung complications that may lead to death.

Therefore, proper remedies must be taken to counter this disorder. The most viable solution is psychotherapy, which is a slow but effective cure for panic disorder (Felman, 2018). The patient should also be subjected to cognitive behavioral therapy to enable them to know how to take control whenever the condition symptoms emerge.

Guidance to a Client

There are two types of clients. A first client is a healthy person who wants to avoid stress/anxiety, and the second client is a patient suffering from anxiety/stress. Dealing with the first client is simple since it entails advising them on various ways of avoiding stress, for instance, engaging in social activities and avoiding activities or areas marred by anxiety/stress risk factors.

However, guiding a patient that is suffering from anxiety/stress entails various things. I begin by asking the client to narrate what he or she has been going through. This exercise enables me to comprehend the cognitive aspect of the patient, which allows me to specifically point out the kind of stress/anxiety facing them (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2011). A physical examination of the patient will also offer leading information about the condition of the patient. Once I have the details of the disorder, I will subject the patient to the treatment process by establishing a care plan. If the program requires psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, I will expose the patient to the therapies by offering moral support (Felman, 2018). In case medical intervention is necessary, I will refer the patient to a medical expert to deal with the condition.

References

Felman, A. (2018, November 1). Anxiety treatment: Self-management, therapy, and medication. Retrieved from www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323494.php

Integrative Therapeutics. (2016, October 31). HPA Axis & Stress Response: Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis. Retrieved April 13, 2019, from https://www.integrativepro.com/Resources/Integrative-Blog/2016/The-HPA-Axis

Lombardo, J. (2017). Anxiety and Panic Disorders. New York, NY: Greenhaven Publishing LLC.

National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. (2011). Common Mental Health Disorders: Identification and Pathways to Care. Cambridge, England: RCPsych Publications.

Roberts, C. A. (2014). Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Guide for Families, 2d ed. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.